One of the advantages of working with a travel agency is that you get to travel to different places and next week I am off to Fernie, Kimberly and Panorama. I am looking forward to my trip and will share my experience with all the readers of this blog. My friends from work who have been to Fernie before are really excited to visit this beautiful place again. Keep reading and I will let you know what I think about it.
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There are quite a few good ski resorts near Kelowna and I was unaware about them until I started living in Okanagan.
Big White: Just a 20 – 30 minute drive from Kelowna is Big White Ski resort. Big White offers accommodation including full service hotels, luxury townhouses, condominium apartments, vacation homes to economy units. This year, the ski season in Big White is over by mid April.
Apex: Another Short drive from Kelowna to Penticton leads us to Apex mountain resort. Apex Mountain Resort remains one of the hidden gems of Canadian skiing. Apex is known for its quality snow, great weather, incredible terrain, and friendly people. Apex being located in the southern part of the Okanagan Valley features the perfect mix of large amounts of precipitation and low humidity; that makes for the lightest champagne powder snow imaginable behind them. With an average temperature of -4º C, Apex receives about 600 cm of dry “Okanagan” powder each season. Popular hotels to stay in Apex include the Saddle Back Lodge (as stay includes continental breakfast), Outlaws Inn and Apex Mountain Inn (near to the skating loop).
Silver Star: If you happen to be around Vernon, you don’t want to miss Silver Star Ski resort. Silver Star’s Victorian-themed, mid-mountain village offers charming, comfortable ski-in/ski-out accommodation for every budget. Visitors can choose from over 3,200 beds on-mountain, eight hotels and more than 100 vacation homes. Ski season in Silver Star is ending on April 10th this year so ski while the snow lasts.
If you DO want to ski past April, I would recommend checking out the Revelstoke area where skiing is open until May.
Check out all Ski Locations in BC.
If you enjoy the outdoors, look for adventure and appreciate nature then
British Columbia is a perfect holiday destination for you! The top 3 adventure activities in BC include Whale Watching, Kayaking and White Water Rafting.
Whale Watching: Vancouver Island is home to some of BC’s best wildlife viewing. Take in a whale watching tour that leaves from Tofino, Uculetet or Victoria.
Kayaking/Canoeing: What better way to spend a holiday than on the water, kayaking in and out of untouched bays. You will be surprised at how much wildlife you will see on this adventure.
White Water Rafting: If you are looking for an adrenaline rush, than this is for you. Some of the best white water rafting in BC can be found in the Kootenay Rocky Region. Check out the tours departing from the town of Golden.
Plan a trip and experience all three adventures. You will be sure to write home about this BC holiday!
Anyone who has eaten at an East Indian restaurant before knows that Butter Chicken is often one of the tastiest items on the menu. Luckily, here in British Columbia there are many restaurants throughout the province which make a mean butter chicken. Here are some of my favorite (not in any particular order):
If you need accommodations while in these cities check out:
- Vancouver Accommodations
- Kelowna Accommodations
- Kamloops Accommodations
- Golden Accommodations
Every once in a while, I think it is important to spoil yourself, and I know the perfect place to do this….The Wickaninnish Inn. The Wickaninnish is located in Tofino, BC which is on the Westcoast of Vancouver Island.
Vancouver Island is accessible by both ferry and airplane. Ferries depart from Washington State, Tsawwassen (South of Vancouver), and Horseshoe Bay (North of Vancouver). Once on the island, you will enjoy your drive to the beautiful West coast. The road from Nanaimo is one of the most spectacular in the world where you will travel through old-growth forests of the Cathedral Grove.
The setting of the Wickaninnish Inn is truly breathtaking
. The Inn sits on a rock ledge that offers panoramic ocean and beach views from every guest room. They have 75 deluxe guest rooms and suites with fireplace, soaker tub and individual balconies. For services, the Inn offers a full-service spa for some pampering; a coffee lounge to sit back and watch the waves crash along the shoreline, and a gourmet restaurant to dine at called the Pointe. The details in the rooms are outstanding. Our room had a private bar, beverage station, individual book selection, our own suite of cds, down duvet, large screen television, AVEDA aromatherapy products and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, even from our tub. This place truly is heaven on earth!
I try to never visit the same campground twice! This is because there are so many amazing places to explore in BC, and I don’t want to miss out on experiencing as much as I can. My 3 favorite campgrounds are Mabel lake, Otter Lake and Little Qualicum falls.
Mabel Lake Provincial Park is located in the T
hompson Okanagan Region, near Lumby. You take Hwy 6 east from Vernon to Lumby and then follow the signs turning north onto Mabel Lake Road. The campsites are fairly big and very private. The campground is on a sandy beach and is surrounded by lush trees. Things to do here include watersports, fishing, swimming, biking and hiking.
Otter Lake Provincial Park is also located in the Thompson Okanagan Region, just bordering the Vancouver Coast Region. It is located 33 km northwest of Princeton off Hwy 5A toward Tulameen. This campground is very private with a natural setting in the trees. The Park is surrounded by the Cascade Mountain Range, home to lots of wildlife including otters, beaver and red squirrel as well as, mountain goats, cougars and grizzly bears. The Lake is great for watersports, swimming and fishing. It can be a little cool, but very refreshing. There are also lots of nature trails along the lake with beautiful views.
Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Campground is located in the Vancouver Island Region, 19km west of Parksville. The campground has a River and lake nearby for lots of fun activities. The park also has lots of walking trails with beautiful viewpoints to the impressive waterfalls. The campsites are large and very private, like most provincial parks. If you are planning to visit any of these campgrounds in the summertime, I would definitely recommend making reservations. Both Otter Lake and Little Qualicum Falls can be reserved through BC Parks.
